Florida welcomed 73.5 million visitors during the first half of 2026, down 1.4% from last year, while Canadian visitation fell sharply amid economic pressures and U.S.-Canada tensions.
Florida tourism declined for a second straight quarter as the state recorded fewer domestic, overseas, and Canadian visitors than in the same period last year.
According to a report from Fox 35 Orlando, there were an estimated 34.01 million visitors to Florida from April through June, down 0.7% from the second quarter of 2025, according to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing agency.
During the first six months of 2026, an estimated 73.5 million people visited Florida, a 1.4% decline from approximately 74.5 million visitors during the same period last year.
Domestic travelers continued to make up the overwhelming majority of Florida visitors. About 31.08 million domestic travelers visited during the second quarter, compared with 31.22 million a year earlier. During the first half of 2026, domestic visitation totaled 67.33 million, down from 68.2 million during the first six months of 2025.
Overseas visitation also declined during the second quarter, falling 3.7% from a year earlier to approximately 2.21 million visitors. Despite the quarterly decline, overseas travel during the first half of 2026 remained 2.2% higher than during the same period in 2025.
The most significant percentage decline came from Canada.
Approximately 721,000 Canadians traveled to Florida during the second quarter, down 4.2% from the same period last year. During the first six months of 2026, Canadian visitation fell 13.9% to approximately 1.68 million.
Canadian travel to Florida also remains well below pre-pandemic levels. The state received approximately 848,000 Canadian visitors during the second quarter of 2019 and 2.29 million during the first half of that year.
A July report from Statistics Canada pointed to a broader change in Canadian travel habits, saying early 2026 data indicated “a persistent shift away from the United States by Canadian residents in their travel preferences.”
The decline has coincided with increased tensions between the United States and Canada over President Donald Trump’s trade policies and his repeated references to Canada as the “51st state.” More recent trade disputes have added to those tensions.
The tourism data, however, does not establish how much of the decline in Canadian visitation is directly attributable to politics, trade disputes or Trump’s rhetoric. Inflation, household finances and other economic pressures could also be affecting travel decisions.
It also remains unclear whether the trend will continue into Florida’s winter tourism season, when large numbers of Canadians traditionally travel south.
Despite the recent slowdown, Florida tourism remains well above pre-pandemic levels overall.
Florida welcomed a record 143.3 million visitors in 2025. The state has exceeded its previous pre-pandemic record of 131 million annual visitors, established in 2019, every year since 2022.
State economists are nevertheless watching signs that tourism growth could be slowing.
In an Aug. 14 update, Florida’s Revenue Estimating Conference said inflation has outpaced wage growth and increased consumers’ reliance on credit. Economists also cited federal projections pointing toward slower growth in tourism, construction and real estate.
Tourism remains a major component of Florida’s economy, supporting hotels, restaurants, attractions and businesses throughout the state.
Visit Florida has also been working to draw travelers beyond Florida’s traditional tourism centers. The agency is promoting the state’s history in conjunction with the nation’s 250th anniversary while increasing efforts to attract visitors to rural communities.
“Tourism and travel make such a big difference for something like a main street, a restaurant, a lodging or an attraction around the state,” Visit Florida President and CEO Bryan Griffin told reporters Aug. 12.
Florida’s tourism industry suffered a historic decline during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 before rebounding rapidly. Domestic travelers helped drive the initial recovery, and by 2022 statewide visitation had surpassed the previous 2019 record.
Tourism continued growing until reaching the record 143.3 million visitors in 2025. The first half of 2026 has interrupted that trend, with visitation now running modestly behind last year’s pace.
Canadian tourism has experienced a slower recovery. Statistics Canada said the broader decline in Canadian travel to the United States has been unusually persistent, describing an 11-month stretch of year-over-year declines as the deepest and longest such downturn outside the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has also criticized recent U.S. trade proposals as relations between the two countries remain strained.
“We recognize that sometimes, its signature is written in pencil,” Carney said Saturday.
